Home / News / The Capitals held an adorable family skate after their Stadium Series practice. A juice box even made it out on the ice. 🧃

The Capitals held an adorable family skate after their Stadium Series practice. A juice box even made it out on the ice. 🧃

By Katie Adler

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February 18, 2023 12:42 pm

Following the Washington Capitals’ practice at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium Friday night, the team had the opportunity for an outdoor family skate.

Even after the day’s festivities began with a rain delay, the skate was highly attended, with many of the players’ partners and children in attendance.

T.J. Oshie, who announced the birth of his fourth child Lucy in January, took the ice alongside wife Lauren and his three elder children Lyla, Leni, and Campbell.

The Capitals posted video of Oshie skating his son Campbell around on the ice.

After being out of the lineup since January, Tom Wilson, who is likely to play this Saturday, took to the ice with wife Taylor. Both spoke on the importance of the skate.

“It’s fun to see all the families having so much fun, and the kids, the smiles on their faces and stuff, it’s what it’s all about,” Tom said, later adding, “These are the events you remember that you remember, that you get to spend with your teammates and families.”

“I don’t know if I’m quite the natural [at skating,] but it’s fun.” Taylor said, “It’s a lot more fun than I thought.”

Taylor further noted how rarely so many of the players’ families get together during the season: “It’s kind of fun just to have everyone in one place.”

Vince Backstrom, who appeared alongside his father at Capitals’ Youth Hockey Day this past Sunday, skated with father Nicklas. Vince once again displayed his skating abilities, chasing after Nick in a Stadium Series jersey.

When interviewed by wife Paige, Nic Dowd emphasized how much players enjoyed getting to bring their families to the ice. “It means a lot for the guys to have all the wives and kids here to experience this…It’s great to have [son Louie] Lou here, we’ve got [daughter] Ruby here.”

Dowd’s close friend Garnet Hathaway also gave an interview alongside his son Luke. “It’s a special day,” Hathaway said before Luke interrupted by grabbing the microphone foam. “We’re so lucky to play in this league, with an awesome organization and the locker room we have, bringing family into it is the cherry on top.”

For those too young to skate, the event still provided an opportunity to enjoy time with friends and loved ones. While Conor Sheary helped daughter Mila skate, Weslie Strome enjoyed a juice box with her father Dylan.

Several of the Capitals’ players’ young children wore matching jackets, each customized with their father’s signature on the back. Nick Jensen’s children Enzo and Leon sported the jackets, as did Naomie Mantha, Lyla and Leni Oshie, Beckem and Lennon Irwin, Fedor Kuznetsov, Weslie Strome, Mila Sheary, and Louie Dowd.

The skate wasn’t limited to players’ families: Video Coordinator Emily Engel-Natzke attended with her wife Spencer and mother Maggie.

Even the Capitals’ broadcasting crew got in on the fun. NBC Sports Washington’s Alan May and Alexa Landestoy both participated in the skate, and Landestoy supposedly used skates borrowed from Conor Sheary.

All in all, the skate provided an opportunity for players to regroup after a three game-skid while making lasting memories with their loved ones.

“It’s always special playing in front of, you know, the people that are the closest to you,” said Darcy Kuemper, “I think they’ll probably enjoy the game as much as we will.”

Headline photo courtesy of @lauren.oshie/Instagram

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